Press Release  AG Campbell Joins Bipartisan Coalition Of Attorneys General In Call For Congress To Require Surgeon General Warning On Social Media Platforms

BOSTON — In a letter to Congress, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and 41 other attorneys general are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation requiring a U.S. surgeon general warning on algorithm-driven social media platforms stating that social media use is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. The letter comes amidst growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health. 

The attorneys general cite a growing body of research that links young people’s use of these platforms to physical and psychological harms, including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts in kids and teens. They also note how social media platforms deploy psychologically manipulative algorithmic recommendations and features such as infinite scrolling and a constant stream of notifications that are designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platforms at the expense of participating in other activities or sleeping. 

This action is AG Campbell’s latest effort to hold social media corporations accountable and protect young people. In October 2023, AG Campbell filed a lawsuit against Meta (formerly Facebook) for purposefully designing its Instagram platform to addict young users, and actively and repeatedly deceiving the public about the danger posed to young people through compulsive overuse. The complaint alleges that numerous internal documents and communications show that Meta, including its more senior executives, were aware that certain features of Instagram induced young users into harmful addictive and habitual use of its platforms. The Commonwealth’s complaint alleges that instead of prioritizing young users’ well-being – as it publicly claimed – Meta repeatedly and deliberately chose not to implement measures and design changes it knew could reduce harms and improve young users’ well-being. In addition to Massachusetts, 44 other states and the District of Columbia brought lawsuits against Meta.

In addition to AG Campbell, the attorneys general from Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming also signed the letter co-led by the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee.  

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